Frozen: Movie Review

Frozen: Movie Review

Cast: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff, Alan Tudyk
Director: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee

Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, The Snow Queen, Frozen's the latest animated film to be fired out of the Disney cannon for the Christmas market.

Idina Menzel and Veronica Mars' star Kristen Bell are sisters Elsa and Anna (respectively) who live in the kingdom of Arendelle. Elsa's distanced herself from Anna over the years after discovering she has the power to create ice and snow; and fearing she'll hurt those she loves the most, she reckons ice-olation (sorry) is best.

However, Anna's more of an outgoing type; desperate to love, be among people and be loved. When trade negotiations begin with the neighbouring town of Wesselton, an accident means Elsa sends the whole kingdom deep into winter. Believing her to be a witch and enchanted, the inhabitants drive her out - but it's upto Anna to try and save the day, restore summer and ensure the future of Arendelle...

Frozen is a Disney film from the creators of Tangled; so, like Tangled, it follows a simple formula, which proved to be effective before - a strong female lead, animals that are anthropomorphic, and big showtunes which can be belted out from a stage. Throw into that mix, this time around, a comedy snowman called Olaf (admirably voiced by Josh Gad, who will definitely appeal to the youngsters within) and you've got a winning mix, which will delight the crowd and will do the job it's supposed to do.

And yet, there are moments in Frozen where it doesn't quite feel like there's enough to propel it through. A perversion of the usual denouement of these films is distinctly welcomed as it's love but not in the traditional Disney way which saves the day, but the rest of it feels like it's ripped from a book of formula, mixed up and spat out onto the big screen.

It's admirable to see that the sisters are so central to the story - particularly Bell's headstrong and independent Anna, and the men who swirl around their orbit aren't as well realised, there for comic effect and little else. Even Sven, the reindeer is sidelined as Olaf's dumb good nature is mined for the comedy.

The tunes within are powerful enough fodder and have you tapping your toes throughout; though they are instantly forgettable the moment you walk out of the cinema.

This time around, it felt personally that the darkness of the 3D glasses dampened some of the crisp experience one would expect from a world of ice; granted, the animation is stunning (Elsa's ice castle is wonderfully realised) but the muddiness from the RealD 3D meant the colours were lost a little in translation and the effect minimised, which is a real shame.

Overall though, Frozen sparkles in places and has a charm which is undeniable.

Personally, I'm frosty to its appeal - it does exactly what I'd expect, and does it admirably. It just has to be said though - it didn't thaw this critic's heart and leave me melting as I would have liked it to.

(But make sure you get there early, to enjoy a new Mickey Mouse cartoon that confidently blows the cobwebs out of 3D and is as inventive as it is charming)

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